Rennes and Nantes are experiencing an explosion of violence linked to drug trafficking, with regular shootings plunging neighborhoods into fear. The police say they are powerless in the face of this surge in ultraviolence. While Bruno Retailleau was in Rennes this Friday, November 1, some are calling for a law adapted to drug trafficking, going so far as to call for the creation of a national prosecutor's office to fight against drug traffickers, who continue to manage their criminal affairs even from prisons. .
In the neighborhoods of Maurepas and Villejean in Rennes, or in the Malakoff sector in Nantes, the reality of drug trafficking is spread out in the open. Lookouts posted on street corners, quick and discreet transactions, consumers who leave as quickly as they came. The atmosphere is heavy, the tension palpable. For residents and local authorities, this situation is turning into a nightmare, as the phenomenon seems unstoppable. Walking through these neighborhoods plagued by drug trafficking, we understand that the fight against drugs is a war that has apparently already been lost. Reporting.
Disillusioned police officers facing an endless fight
“Here, we fight daily battles, but the war is already lost,” says a Rennes police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. In office for ten years, he observes with bitterness the explosion of deal points in the city. “We know where they are, and so do the residents. The dealers change spots as soon as they feel the tide turning, and we try to limit the damage without ever really eradicating the problem. » This police officer evokes a certain resignation which has taken hold within the police, faced with a cruel lack of resources in the face of increasingly organized networks. “ We make arrests, of course, but it's like putting a bandage on a gaping wound. Those arrested are often released by the courts, and the deal points resume with a vengeance. »
One of his colleagues based in Nantes agrees. “ Our efforts seem ridiculous given the scale of the problem. We are forced to concentrate our resources on small deal points and small dealers, while the big fish remain untouchable. » Police officers on the ground no longer hide their exasperation, particularly in the face of the rise of increasingly dangerous synthetic drugs whose effects, often devastating, are still poorly controlled by the medical profession.
Local residents under the yoke of terror
For local residents, cohabitation with drug trafficking has become beyond bearable. In Maurepas, an emblematic district of Rennes plagued by drug sales outlets, residents live under constant pressure. Marie, a mother, talks about how she no longer prefers to let her children play outside alone. “Here, we have the impression of being taken hostage. The dealers and their lookouts have set up right in front of our house, and we live with this constant fear that a fight will break out or that a stray bullet will one day cause a tragedy. »
Jean-Paul, a historic resident of the neighborhood (his parents and grandparents already lived there, which is becoming rare in Rennes), evokes radical measures to escape this hell. “ At this point, we can no longer settle for half-measures. We need exemplary sentences for these traffickers, and even consider expulsions of entire families if the dealers are of foreign origin. Look at what's happening in El Salvador: they built special prisons for traffickers and it works. Why couldn't we do the same here? »
In Malakoff, a sensitive district of Nantes, residents are also calling for extreme solutions. For them, justice does not follow, and the public authorities are content with “measures” while the situation worsens. “ We can clearly see that the police are doing what they can, but it is not enough, explains Ahmed, a merchant in the neighborhood. Traffickers know they risk little, and that makes them arrogant. »
A public health issue: new drugs, a growing threat
In addition to the omnipresence of trafficking, the quality and dangerousness of the drugs available add another dimension to the crisis. In care centers, but also via dedicated associations, doctors are sounding the alarm. “We are seeing patients arrive in a state of severe dependence on new substances, much more toxic than traditional drugs,” explains an addiction doctor from Rennes. These synthetic drugs cause delirious effects and very rapid states of dependence, with still little-known impacts on the brain. »
Doctors and psychologists are often helpless when faced with the extent of the symptoms presented. “NWe don't always even have the appropriate treatments to manage these cases, confides a psychiatrist from Nantes. It's a looming health crisis, and it could well escape us. »
A “Mexicanization” of traffic that worries
What worries the authorities most is the gradual transformation of local trafficking into a structure similar to the Mexican or Colombian cartels.s. “We can clearly see that the networks are becoming more professional,” explains an investigator. The traffickers are younger and younger, more and more armed, and they do not hesitate to use violence to control their territory. Human life also matters less and less to them, as in Mexico or in these countries. It’s terrifying” Entire neighborhoods in Rennes as in Nantes, but also in Brest, are gradually escaping public authority, creating “lawless zones” where the law of the strongest reigns supreme. And it is neither the announcements of the Minister of the Interior, nor the occasional mobilization of CRS, nor the media operations on the deal points, which will change the situation.
This observation is shared by several residents' associations who denounce the inaction of the public authorities and a largely insufficient judicial response. “OWe know that the prisons are full, but this should not be an excuse for leaving these areas abandoned, argues a representative of a local residents' association. If the State does not quickly regain control, France could well fall into a sort of European-style narco-State. »
What political response?
Faced with this explosive situation, political leaders are struggling to propose concrete solutions. For local residents and police officers, the current “measures” are far from enough. “IIt is urgent that the State take strong decisions, radical solutions if necessary, to break these trafficking networks which are plaguing our neighborhoods. », proclaims Jean-Paul. But despite calls for help and promises, the daily lives of residents of Rennes and Nantes remain marked by fear, insecurity and despair.
In the meantime, it is the residents, police officers and health professionals who remain on the front line, in a fight where they have less and less hope of seeing the situation improve.
YV
Photo credit: DR
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